Miscellaneous

🧂 CMOs face scrutiny similar to restaurant owners justifying salt's ROI. Salt enhances dishes like brand boosts business. Isolating brand ROI is tough; it's foundational, improving marketing, sales, and product appeal. Yet, executives demand tangible proof, akin to performance marketing. Attribution models and brand lift studies try to satisfy this, but they miss the point. Brand, like salt, enhances overall success. Its true value lies in its subtle, essential presence, not isolated metrics.

🏨 U.S. hotel industry data for 7-13 December 2025 reveals mixed results compared to 2024. Occupancy was 58.6% (-1.6%), ADR reached $156.46 (+0.4%), while RevPAR stood at $91.76 (-1.1%). New Orleans experienced the most significant declines in ADR (-18.3%) and RevPAR (-29.9%) due to an event comparison. Tampa's occupancy dropped by 14.3%, and Washington, D.C., saw ADR and RevPAR decrease by 12.9% and 24.2%, respectively. CoStar's performance sample includes over 90,000 properties worldwide.

🍳 WOOHOO, the world's first AI-chef-led restaurant, opened in September 2025 at Kempinski The Boulevard Hotel, Downtown Dubai. The menu is crafted by AI model Chef Aiman, using data analysis to create unique flavors by assembling texture, acidity, and umami.

📈 In 2025, strategic leadership in sales evolves by inspiring belief rather than pressuring sales. Key tactics include asking questions like, "What would a great year look like for you?" and mapping client goals. Howard Schultz's approach at Starbucks emphasizes creating a belonging space, boosting stakeholder alignment time, and increasing referral rates, thereby reducing churn. This belief-driven strategy fosters loyalty, with clients seeking to join, not just buy, creating a meaningful brand identity.

🛩 Dec 19, 2025, global issue: airline business-impersonator scams surge during high-stress flight disruptions. Fraudsters, using fake customer-service numbers and AI tools, exploit search ads to extract payments and data. Regulatory data shows a significant yearly increase in scams and losses. Complex customer service and over-reliance on automation push travelers to unsafe channels. Prevention now focuses on travelers verifying official sources, with clear communication reducing risk. Source: Bloomberg.

📈 World Inequality Report reveals 0.001% of the population holds triple the wealth of the bottom 50%. Since the 1990s, billionaire wealth has grown 8% yearly, double the rate of the poorest half. Top 10% cause 77% of private capital carbon emissions, while the bottom half causes 3%. Women earn 61% of men's hourly wages, dropping to 32% when unpaid labor is counted. India's travel market to grow significantly by 2030 despite economic challenges.

💬 Client disagreement story: A cleanup and restoration company believes in going "above and beyond" by being available 24/7, 365 days a year. However, this is an expected service standard, not exceptional. True "above and beyond" moments are unexpected, like when Wynn Resorts staff retrieved forgotten medicine for a guest. Consistently meeting expectations builds trust and loyalty, while surprise moments enhance customer experience. Aim for reliability and empathy, not fireworks, to elicit, "I'll be back.

📈 Over 40% of UK hospitality employers have neuroinclusion policies, yet fewer than 15% of neurodivergent employees find these effective. Neurodivergent unemployment rates are 70-80%. Hotels face a conflict between inclusion as a right and as a business resource. Corporate policies often fail at the franchise level. Managers state that commitment improves retention, but online training alone is insufficient. Inclusion should be foundational, not selective, with mandatory reporting and stronger oversight needed for consistency.

🍴 Bret Thorn is the Senior Food & Beverage Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality since 1999. He studied at Tufts University and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and worked for ABC News in Beijing during Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. He was president of IFEC in 2005 and inducted into Disciples d’Escoffier in 2014. Thorn's columns won the 2006 Jesse H. Neal Award. He lives in Brooklyn but is originally from Denver.

📈 November 2025, the U.S. unemployment rate rose to 4.6%, the highest since 2021. The economy added 64,000 jobs, despite a 43-day government shutdown. Eating and drinking places added 5,600 jobs in November, marking five consecutive months of growth. The industry gained 120,000 jobs in the last five months, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 196,000 jobs (1.6%). Idaho, Utah, South Dakota, and Nevada saw the highest employment gains, while 17 states remain below pre-pandemic levels.